Peace
by KDMOSP
Summary: "Hotch.." His voice shook. "Tell me she's okay." Will plead, as he leaned against his car for support. "Just tell me, she's okay." Warning: character death!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I am having a hard week, that is where this chapter is coming from. There is a character death; just know that up front! Enjoy, and please tell me if this chapter is okay, I am really nervous about it. Like REALLY nervous! **

Amanda shivered in the small closet, she wanted her mommy and her daddy. She wanted to be at home with Earl, her great big fluffy doggie, and her brother Sam. She didn't like being made to sit in the closet all day, but the bad man had locked it on the outside. And no matter how much she kicked and screamed the door stayed shut.

He had told her to stay inside and stay quite, that someone named the FBI was there and she could get hurt if they found her. They were monsters and she had to hide. So now, five year old Amanda Labeth was confused. She knew the man was bad and she wanted to run away from him, but she was scared of the monsters coming to get her! What was she supposed to do?

She brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them, it helped her to feel better, a little bit better. And when she saw the door begin to move and shake and heard a stranger's voice, she began to cry.

But then, after a lot of loud noise, the door was opened and a blonde woman stood in front of her. She had a gun, and the letters of FBI written on her blue shirt- but she wasn't scary looking, not like monsters.

"Hi Amanda," Amanda looked up, and watched as the lady put her gun away and smiled at her. "Amanda, my name is JJ, I want to take you home to your mommy!" The lady said and reached out her hand to the young girl.

Amanda looked at her not sure to trust her or not. "And Earl?" She whispered.

"And Earl." JJ responded, and reached inside for the child. She moved slow, as to not frighten Amanda anymore, but was surprised when she felt the little girl leap into her arms. "Let's go home."

JJ turned with the child in her arms, to face the team, all smiling back at the successful rescue of the missing child.

And then it went to hell.

A single gunshot rang out, and the team watched in horror as their friend stopped walking, and went pale as Amanda screamed and squirmed out of her arms, running directly into the arms of a SWAT officer.

"JJ!" One more gunshot ended it, but it didn't matter to JJ. By the time her mind was able to comprehend what had happened, she was already on the ground. She blinked her eyes a few times, trying to ignore the pain that was radiating in her chest.

"Get a medic! Agent down!" She heard someone shout and saw another lean over her. "JJ, I am so sorry." The person said and suddenly she wanted to scream in pain as she felt someone press on the side of her chest.

"Stop." She whispered, then coughed, blood already pouring from her mouth. "Morgan.. stop.." She plead, not understanding why he was hurting her.

"I have to, girl." He responded, wiping a tear from her eye as Hotch sat behind them and lifted her head into his lap. Morgan knew it was serious, they all knew it was. She had been hit in the side of the chest, inches above where her vest ended. "Where is the ambulance?" He yelled, her blood pouring through his hands as he desperately tried to keep pressure on the wound.

"Three minutes out." One of the SWAT officers responded.

"She doesn't have three minutes!" Hotch shot back, frustration and fear mounting as he watched his agent bleeding to death, watched her eyes bat close.

"JJ! Open your eyes!" Hotch shook her, watching her breathing slow, and her lips turn blue.

She wanted to fight with him, argue, tell him to stop yelling at her, but it was so hard to speak, so hard to breathe, and she was so tired. She just needed to sleep, they would understand, she was tired. Nothing hurt anymore, and she heard muffled voices yelling something.. felt someone shaking her, but exhaustion took over and JJ closed her eyes.


	2. Halleujah

**A/N: This chapter is so sad, so have your tissues ready. I cried writing it. I was actually listening to Hallelujah by Lisa Lavie when I wrote this. If you can, listen to it while reading, it really adds to the story. And as always, thanks for reading! Please review, I have no idea if I am writing this well or not and really want to do it justice! Thank you all!**

Morgan sat outside, on the grassy patch that he had seen as the team had arrived at the location. It didn't exactly sit on the UNSUB's property, instead it looked more like a small, beautiful, peaceful, park; the perfect place for JJ.

Moments earlier, he had seen Hotch press his fingers to JJ's neck, and close his eyes. Morgan had then scooped the dying agent into his arms and rushed out the door, ignoring the stares and shouts from his boss, and team members. Protocol be damned, he refused to allow JJ to die in such a dingy, disgusting home.

She loved the sunshine, the outdoors, and it would be where she would breathe her last. She was still breathing, but barely, and as he sank to the ground with her in his arms, he watched the rest of the team fall beside them. Tears already running down their faces, as the sirens approached.

Blake reached over first, and brushed JJ's hair away from her face, before taking one of her hands and holding it, the rest followed, laying their hands over JJ's as they watched her breathing slow. It wasn't until they heard the sirens stop that few of them looked up and nodded in respect at the officers and SWAT that had formed a protective circle around the team. Nobody spoke as each officer took off their caps and placed them over their hearts and bowed their heads. A beautiful scene in the middle of a horrible nightmare, a scene nobody wanted to see or experience, but one that was happening.

And when the young agent drew her last breath, it was as if everyone knew she was gone. Even the birds stopped singing, the dogs no longer barking, the park was silent. There was not a dry eye in the vicinity, the young, vibrant agent, the hero to the little girl was so suddenly gone. And even though they had badges, and guns, and fantastic resources, they could not save her. It was Hotch who watched as the SWAT officer quietly stepped away and pressed a button on his radio, and seconds later the sirens simply stopped. Hotch knew what had been done, the officer had softly reported the death of an agent and asked the responders to cut their sirens, to maintain the quiet serenity that was surrounding them.

It hit Hotch then, when the paramedics and fire department showed up, and without a gurney, slowly walked to the small hill, towards them, to JJ. He wanted to yell at them and scream when they began digging stuff from their medical totes, but he knew it was necessary.

Nobody said a word as the paramedic checked for a pulse, pressed a stethoscope to her still chest, and checked her pupils. He turned to his partner and in a whisper requested the young man to call the medical examiner. The paramedic did not stand back up, just sat with the silent group of officers and FBI agents.

They were all still there, all still on that park when the medical examiner showed up ten minutes later. Dr. Whitney had been advised that an FBI agent had been shot and killed during a rescue, and as she descended upon the scene, her heart broke in two. She had been on the scene of far too many law enforcement deaths, but this one was different.

As she walked up to the fallen hero, she noticed how all the officers stood silently around the group, only parting to allow her through. She took a deep breath and looked up and saw only pain in the faces of those closest to her.

"Agents." Whitney began, looking directly at each of them. She knew better than to try to convince them to leave her, let alone try to convince the one holding her to let her go. She would have to talk to them first. "My name is Elizabeth, you all know who I am, and my purpose here." Her eyes landed on JJ. "I promise, I will take good care of her." She had to get the one man to let her go. "I will stay with her."

Nobody spoke to her, but after a moment of silence, Whitney watched as one man motioned to his team and she could only assume he was their leader. No words were ever said, but Whitney could only watch as each agent, one by one, stood up, kissed the woman on the forehead, and slowly backed away, only in front of the police circle, only enough to allow Whitney to do her job.

Whitney waited a few seconds before texting her assistant to join her, he had waited in the van for her word to come and join her. As Whitney looked down at the agent, she could not help the tear that fell and landed on the woman's kevlar vest. "You were loved, honey." Whitney whispered, noticing how the police circle had only grown larger. "You helped a lot of people." She stopped and closed her eyes, needing to collect herself before she continued. She said a quick prayer, for her, for the agent, for her family and the world as a whole. They needed it, after all, the world had just lost one more angel, and one who had given her own life to save that of a child."Thank you for your service, agent."


	3. Respect

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews, I am trying to capture the feelings that might come along with this situation. I asked in another story if anyone knows how to make a youtube video that reflects fanfic? If you do, please PM me!**

**Thank you so much for reading!**

Dillon watched as his neighborhood had swarmed with police officers over the past hour, he had watched with curious eyes as he saw the SWAT team showed up, he dove to the floor when he heard a gunshot. He almost cried when he saw the FBI agent carry a wounded woman outside and up to the grassy hill, and he knew when she had died.

So, with one phone call, he made sure that the gathered group of FBI, and police would know that their hero, died a hero, that she would not be forgotten. He pulled out his credit card and explained the situation to the other person on the line. In less than thirty minutes, the perimeter around the park would be flooded with sentiments for the agent.

The team stood silent as their fallen friend was carefully lifted onto a gurney and covered with a white sheet. Nobody spoke as the gurney was escorted into a waiting ambulance; protocol dictated she be brought to the local hospital first.

With a deep breath, Hotch turned to his team, not sure how he was going to make it through the next few days, weeks, months. "Morgan." Hotch spoke looking at the agent who had held JJ as she died, her blood still stained his skin. "Go with her." He nodded towards the ambulance and watched as the agent chewed his lip before taking off towards the still ambulance.

"The rest of us, have a decision to make. This is our choice, not mine. The local field office can handle this case, giving us the time to make our arrangements." He explained having already spoke with the director of the New Orleans office. Miguel had arrived minutes after the shooting and had waited to speak with Hotch; when he saw the Unit Chief move away from his agent's body, Miguel had quickly offered all available resources. "Or." He licked his lips. "We can show them what the BAU is, and bring this JJ her justice."

In their opinions, they knew their decision had already been made, and with a nod at Hotch, the unit chief spoke again. "Find him."

They turned to leave, when something caught their attention. The police had formed a line, lining the street, neighbors had joined them. And as the ambulance pulled away, it's lights running as a sign of respect; the team watched as every single person saluted the ambulance. Saluted their JJ.

With the ambulance disappearing down the street, he now had the hardest thing to do. Closing his eyes, he stepped away and pulled out his cell phone, fingers shaking as he dialed the number and waited for the answer.

"Hello?" The voice answered, a child laughing in the background.

"Will. It's Hotch."

"DADDY!" Henry rushed to his father's side as soon as he saw the man walk into his school building.

"Hi Buddy!" Will grabbed the young boy and lifted him up, hugging him tight. "How was school?" He asked, taking the small Lego backpack from the little boy, then his hand.

"Good! We got to have mac and cheese for lunch,and then we colored a picture, and.." Henry kept on, explaining the dramatic details of his preschool life.

"Sounds like you had a busy day. How about we go and get pizza for dinner?" Will asked, knowing his boy was always for pizza.

"YEAH!" Henry piped jumping up and down with excitement. "Can we watch a movie, too?"

"Sure, buddy, whatever you want." Honestly, all Will wanted to do was go home and sleep; well that, and he wanted his wife home. Speaking of, he checked his phone, JJ normally called around this time, always wanting to know how her boys were doing. Will shrugged it off, knowing his wife was probably preoccupied with something.

Five minutes later, his phone rang. "Let me talk to mom!" Henry squealed from the back seat, knowing his mother always called after school.

Will smiled, "Okay buddy hold on," He took the steering wheel in one hand and with the other pulled out his cell phone. He glanced at the caller ID, and his heart dropped, his world turned cold before he even answered the phone. He pulled the car over, already knowing what this way. "Henry, stay in the car." Will directed and stepped out on the side street.

"Hotch?" His voice shook.

"Will."


	4. Family

**A/N: Sorry it's so short. Hope you enjoy. Not my favorite chapter, but it needed to be done. The next chapter will be up soon, maybe tonight! **

"Will, I need you to go home and pack a bag. I have an agent coming for you and Henry." Hotch directed, hoping Will would just agree and not ask what had happened. He couldn't deliver the news over the phone. But Will was law enforcement, Will knew Hotch didn't just call if everything was wrong.

Will knew his wife was dead.

"Hotch.." His voice shook. "Tell me she's okay." Will plead, as he leaned against his car for support. "Just tell me, she's okay."

"I can't." Two words that destroyed Will's life, two words that shattered his world and brought him to his knees. "Will, I wish I could.." Whatever Hotch said next was lost to Will, he only heard a faint mumbling, a door opening and his little boy running to him.

How was he going to do this?

Hotch hung up the phone, more devastated than he had been just an hour earlier. Now, he got to do it again, and again. First, Garcia. He hoped that it hadn't leaked yet into the media, he doubted it had. The only people who knew the fallen agent's identity were those that had been there, the medical personnel, Dr. Whitney and her staff. He hoped her name hadn't been leaked, but with the existence of social media, he wouldn't be surprised if it had.

He knew his team wouldn't have told anyone, they respected him enough, and understood that as their leader, it was his responsibility to inform JJ's loved ones. Including Garcia.

Garcia hummed to herself, as she prepared to head home. Her babies would be coming home soon, maybe even tonight. And she was delighted to be able to see them. She hated sending them out, seeing her big bad FBI agents board the jet, not sure if they would be coming home. And every time they left, she said a quick prayer that every single one of them would come back home; safe.

But today, she felt a knot in her stomach, something was wrong, she had awoken with the feeling. And as the day went on, that knot got progressively worse. She knew not to call her team, not right now, not when they were about to go rescue that sweet little angel. So, instead she decided to do something else, something to help with her nerves.

With a few strokes on her keyboard, Garcia hacked into the police radio. It took a bit, she had to find the correct station, a private one that the public couldn't listen to. She listened as they talked about going in, their plan, etc. Boring stuff to her, she just needed to hear her babies voices. She smiled when she heard Hotch, when she heard Morgan, Reid, Rossi, Blake and her BFF, JJ.

She heard the little girl's voice as JJ reached into her, and that was all she needed. Garcia reached to turn off the radio as she gathered her belongings, her babies were safe, the knot was going away. She was going home.

Garcia had just opened her door when her phone range. "C'mon!" She groaned fishing the thing from her purse. When she saw Hotch's name pop over the caller ID, she was a step ahead of him.

"I'll order pizza boss man- meet me at.." She explained her voice bubbling over.

"Garcia." His voice and tone gave it all away, and Garcia dropped her purse with a thud to the ground. "Garcia, I need you to get here. Now." She wanted to reach across the phone and hug him, but she couldn't move.

"Who?" She whispered, the tears already falling down her cheeks. Her worst nightmare was coming true. Reid? Rossi? Blake? Morgan?

"JJ."

"No.." She shook.

"I need Emily's number, and JJ's parents contact information, Garcia." Hotch said softly. "I need it now."

She couldn't speak, her voice was lost, her heart was torn. "Garcia." Hotch pressed.

"What..?" No, she didn't want to know. "Boss man.."

Hotch was already a step ahead of her. "I've already told Will, I am about to call Emily. I am sending the Chaplain to inform her parents as soon as I get their address. The Pittsburgh Director and victim advocate will be going along as well. I will be there to speak with them myself, as soon as I can."

"Sir." Garcia sobbed over the phone. "Did she know?"

Hotch closed his eyes, not sure how to answer the question. "She did." And Garcia collapsed against her wall, in her apartment, alone.

Emily slept, and slept and slept. Nothing could wake her, except the incessant ringing of her phone. "What!" She answered the phone without looking at who could be interrupting her. Her tone changed immediately as the message was relayed, and in that instant, Emily felt a part of her soul leave. Her friend, her teammate, her lifesaver, was dead. And Emily couldn't fall apart yet, not yet. Not when a killer still had to be found. But she couldn't stop the one tear that trailed down her cheek, closely followed by a second, then a third. As hardened as she was to death, to crime and horror, the fact that her friend was gone, was enough to erase all the work she had put into blocking her emotions. And without much more fight, Emily cried.

Her team needed her now, and Emily had no intentions of letting them down. With a bag packed, she used her phone to book a redeye. "I'm coming guys." She muttered to herself as she took the last remaining seat on a plane to St. Louis, Missouri. "I'm coming."


	5. Chief

**A/N: This chapter is SUPER short, and I wanted to write more from the team's POV, but this is soooo important that I felt it'd be best left alone. It adds a dimension to the tragedy that will be hard for the team to accept. Thanks for reading and your reviews!**

Chief of Police, Robert Patterson stood with his arms crossed as he watched the ambulance carrying the fallen FBI agent, pull into the ambulance bay. He wasn't the only official there, the major herself had joined, along with some of the leaders in the community. Word had traveled fast, and Patterson shook his head as he watched the media descend upon the scene.

"Put up a blockade." He ordered one of his sergeants. "We don't need her shown to the entire world."

"Yes, sir." The sergeant responded as he walked away and began pressing the media back. One last thing, Patterson had to worry about at that moment.

"Sir?" He turned to see one of the SWAT officers at his side. Mitchel was looking uncharastically pale, shaking, nervous. "I need to speak with you." His voice shook as he spoke to the chief. "It's urgent."

Patterson nodded and turned towards the young officer. He was SWAT, Patterson had seen him in action, former military, family man, dedicated to his career. But something was wrong, and Patterson thought back, Mitchel had been at the scene today. It wasn't unusual, the first time one of his officers saw an innocent person die was rough, when they saw one of their own die- it took a toll on all of them.

"What is it, son?" Patterson directed Mitchell to turn his back, making sure they both had their backs to the media. The last thing Patterson wanted was someone lip reading their conversation. He kept an eye out on the ambulance, waiting for the paramedics to transport the body to the morgue, he needed to be present when they did so. He had to show his respect, his department's respect to the FBI and their agent.

"I.." He watched the officer struggle, something was very wrong, was seriously bothering the young man. "Sir. I shot her. I shot Agent Jareau."


	6. Partner

**A/N: Here ya go! Please review!**

Mayor Tonya Zucker watched the breaking news with a hand covering her mouth; her chin quivering as she watched the media report. An FBI agent had been shot dead just a short time ago, killed in Tonya's own city. The city she prided herself on for its safety, low crime rate, high graduation rates. The city who had not seen a murder in decades, up until a few hours ago; and of course, it would be a high profile, heavy media coverage murder.

"Do we know anything?" She turned to her advisor, hoping he would have some ounce of good news.

"Chief Patterson called earlier, he is on his way to come and speak with you about the matter. He is just at the hospital, waiting to speak with Director Miguel " Sam explained, watching the reporter point at a park; what significance the park had at that moment, Sam had no idea.

Tonya turned her head away from the television and towards her assistant. "Call Patterson back, tell him not to leave that hospital. I am on my way."

Tonya didn't wait for a response, just simply grabbed her purse and headed out the door; her mind swimming. Her small town was just on the outskirts of New Orleans, a peaceful town that really never got any media attention, and the residents liked it that way. Now, as she drove the ten miles to the hospital, she saw the media descending. She had no doubt that soon the mega news outlets would be arriving soon. She had to find out what had happened, she just hoped the FBI would speak with her

Patterson sat in a small conference room the hospital had provided. He had already taken his anxiety meds, had paced and thought- how in the hell was he going to tell the FBI that his own SWAT officer had accidently shot their agent?

He put his head in his hands, not sure of what to do next- at what point did he tell Agent Hotchner, Agent Miguel. Oh God, and he still had to tell the mayor. She was not going to be happy- nobody was going to be.

Mitchell sat across from him, his face pale, his hands still shaking. He had turned over his badge and gun already, but Patterson Refused to allow the young man to simply leave. He needed to stay with Patterson.

"Okay, tell me again. What happened?" Patterson asked, wanting to make sure he had his facts straight before he approached anyone.

Mitchell took a deep breath. "We were informed we needed to meet the FBI at a specific address, that they had identified the location of a missing child." He swallowed and took a sip of water. "We entered the house, the five of us, the FBI behind."

"Okay, what next?"

"Per protocol, we cleared the house and Agent Jareau stopped, and mentioned that she heard something. She walked over to a small closet and opened it, and that was when she saw the child.."

"You're doing great son." Patterson encouraged, knowing this was when things would get tough; neither man noticed the conference room door crack open and three figures quietly slide in.

"Agent Jareau had the child in her arms when I saw a figure step out from behind the closet." Mitchell's hands began to shake again. "He had a gun and had aimed at her head. I didn't wait and fired the first shot." He didn't bother to wipe the tear that found its way down his cheek. "Bradley fired the second after we saw Agent Jareau bleeding. I knew I had missed.. that I had shot her."

Patterson shook his head, something was not making sense. He opened his mouth to speak when he was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"You were standing in front of Agent Jareau?" Both men looked up, shocked to see Agent Hotchner standing in front of them.

"Yes, sir. I am the one who fired the shot." Mitchell's voice dropped again.

"And Washington was behind JJ?" Hotch pictured the image in his mind, yes, JJ had been caught in the middle.

"Yes, sir." Mitchell nodded.

Hotch looked to Miguel, each thinking the same thing. "Officer, are you saying you shot Agent Jareau?"

Mitchell nodded again. "I.. " He couldn't speak, his voice was gone, he was nervous, upset, mad.. everything.

Hotch stayed quiet for a moment, contemplating on how to divulge the information. "You didn't kill her, you didn't shoot her." He spoke watching the young officer nearly collapse at Hotch's words.

"But, I did."

"How? Agent Jareau was hit in the right side of her chest, just above her vest. If you were standing in front of her, tell me how your bullet entered her chest from the wall? That's a hell of a shot, but I am not sure it can be physically pulled off from the angle you were standing at." Hotch explained, a theory already in mind.

Mitchel just stared. Had he been wrong all along? Oh my God, he could hope.

"Washington didn't shoot her, he didn't have the angle either." Hotch pulled out his phone and dialed a familiar number.

"Garcia. I need surveillance from that area, someone has to have a security camera." He hung up the phone and looked back at the officer. "Officer, you didn't kill my agent. Washington didn't kill her." He stopped and took in a breath, looking at both Tonya and Miguel, before directing his attention back to Patterson and Mitchell. "Washington had a partner."


	7. Letter

**A/N: Not sure how I feel about the ending for this one, please let me know! OOH and let me know if you know who did it! Please review!**

Morgan sat in the small hospital conference room, a small tube in his hands. In that tube was a single bullet. One bullet that had ended the life of a dear friend. He looked over it, turned it over and over, hoping the answer would somehow come to him. The simple fact was, right then, he had no answers. He only had grief.

His girl, his baby sister, his JJ was gone. They hadn't even been able to fulfill one of her wishes, that her organs be donated before the autopsy was done. Something about the director of the New Orleans FBI expediting the autopsy.

So now, not even an hour after her death, Morgan held the bullet in his hands; waiting for the rest of his team to arrive. He knew Hotch had just spoken with the Jareau's, had already spoken with Will and Emily and Garcia. They knew, now came the part where they taught the shooter a very important lesson. You don't mess with family.. ever.

"Agent Morgan." His thought were interrupted by a doctor walking in and handing him a piece of paper. "We found this on her, in her vest pocket. We wanted to give it to you." The woman said softly, handing the torn piece of paper to you.

"Thank you." Morgan nodded and took it, unsure of what it was. And when he opened it, his heart broke all over again as he recognized JJ's perfect handwriting.

_"Hotch, Reid, Morgan, Rossi, Emily, Blake, and Garcia," _the letter began._ "If you are reading this, you are all aware of what has happened. I want every single one of you to know something right away, do not blame yourselves for my death. I know with all my heart you did everything in your power to save my life- somethings, as we all are well aware of, are simply out of our control._

_Hotch, I expect you to keep these guys all inline. And when you go to address the press regarding my death, please, make eye contact, it will help overall!" _Morgan cracked a smile.

_Spense, you promised me you would get Henry into a fantastic school, and while he has not quite mastered the art of sharing yet, I expect you to fulfill that promise._

_Morgan, I never had a big brother, I never had a brother. Thank you for being my brother and teaching me how "to fight like a girl." _Morgan lost it there, reminiscing on the times he had taught JJ how to fight, and the time that she had kicked his ass.

_Rossi, don't you dare consider retiring or leaving this team because of this, they need you know more then ever._

_Blake, besides Garcia, it will be up to you to keep our boys behaving themselves. Watch their video game habit, what they eat and make sure they have clean clothes on before they get off the plane._

_Emily, thank you for being by my side, even when you aren't by my side. Blake is going to need you now more than ever._

_Garcia, Garcia, I need you to be brave and strong, I need you to be the kick ass super woman we all know you are. I need you to watch out for our boys, and my husband and son. Don't let Will feed him chocolate chip waffles for breakfast every morning, or fast food every night!_

_To all of you, you have given me the best moments of my life. I never doubted any of you, and am forever thankful that each one of you entered my life. You need to begin to move forward, do what you need to do, then keep moving. One day at a time. I have faith in all of you. It was an honor serving with you, being part of your team. I love you all-_

_JJ."_

"Damn it!" The gentleman tossed his shot glass against his office door, shattering the thing before its pieces cascaded to the ground. "Damn it!" He shouted this time, his plan had fallen to crap; the FBI knew that there was another shooter. The FBI knew that Mitchell had not fired the fatal shot.

And now, they were on his trail, if not now, then soon. He wasn't sure how much time he had, and honestly wasn't sure if he should just make a run for it now. Or, he could continue operating as he was and pray that they never suspected him.

That damn Mitchell had screwed everything up, if he hadn't moved from his original spot, his cover never would have been blown and the FBI would have Mitchell in custody.

But that Hotchner had to have revealed that it couldn't have been Mitchell, so they were back to looking for the second shooter.

The one who had killed a federal agent.

They were looking for him and he knew they would find him. He wasn't dumb, he knew how the FBI acted when one of their own was injured, when one was killed, they were like dogs on the scent. They would not give up and all of their resources would be allocated to finding their agent's killer. Until they found him.


	8. Here

**A/N: I really had a hard time writing this chapter! Please tell me if you like it! **

Henry sat on his father's lap, confused. He knew his mom was in Heaven now and that she was always watching over him. What he didn't understand was how she had so many friends? His dad had told him that they were going to go and say goodbye to his mom, but Henry had never thought about sharing his goodbye, he wanted to do it with just his daddy.

So now, he sat inside a big sports place, a high school football stadium, as his dad had called it. Everywhere Henry looked, he saw sad faces, he saw people crying, people wiping their eyes, and he couldn't understand why.

"Dad?" Henry whispered, seeing his Uncle Spense talk to all the people. Then his Uncle Aaron, and Penny, and Uncle Rossi and Aunt Emily and Aunt Alex.

"Yes, Henry?" Will looked down at his son, Will's own eyes still red from all of the crying he had done over the past four days. He had lost his wife, his JJ, the love of his life.

"Do I get a turn to talk, too?" He pointed to the podium, seeing his aunts and uncles sitting up there. "Please, dad?"

Will didn't know what to say, so instead, he nodded and lifted Henry from his lap. "No, dad. I can do it myself." Henry explained once he saw his dad about to get up.

Henry was a big boy now, and he needed to show all the adults that he was. So, he stuck out his chest and walked as tall as he could, all the way up to the big white coffin that sat in front of the stage. He knew his mom was inside the box, and his Penny and assured him that it was very also promised that his mom had pillow and a blanket and that she wouldn't be cold.

Henry touched the white box, and the flags before he bent down and gave it a kiss, hoping his mother could feel it. "Uncle Hotch." Henry looked up at his uncle. "I'm going to talk to the adults now, okay?"

Henry took his uncle's hand and then allowed his uncle to hold him so he could reach the microphone. "Thanks, Uncle Hotch." Henry patted him on the shoulder before redirecting his attention to the people looking back at him.

"My mommy died a few days ago." The strength in his voice, surprised even the most hardened FBI agents. "My daddy said that mommy was helping someone, a little girl, go home to her family. My mommy saved that little girl's life." He paused and swallowed. "I know everyone is sad about my mommy, but don't be. Mommy is in Heaven now, and she is watching us all the time. She makes sure we stay safe and happy and healthy. Mommy doesn't have to hurt anymore, or be scared, or cry. And mommy wouldn't want us to be scared or sad, she wants us to laugh and play, and smile. She wants us to keep taking care of one another." He looked up and saw more people smiling, he had turned them from crying into smiling. "Mommy always told me that when I am scared or sad to think of something that makes me happy- and right now that is what I have to do. I have to think of what mommy promised me when she told me she could get hurt at work one day. Mommy always said that no matter what happens to her, she is always here. She is in my heart and the flowers, she is in the sky and the rain. And even if I can't see her, all I have to do is close my eyes and think of my favorite thing to do with her- and then I can feel her." He did just that, thinking of playing soccer with his mom. "I cannot see her, but she will always be here."


	9. Rage

**A/N: So, you probably got a ton of email alerts for this story. I am apologizing now for that, I had originally posted two extra chapters, fully intending to end this story tonight. But I HATED those chapters so much, I had to take them down. So, at least for a bit longer, this story will continue! Thank you for being patient with me and my OCD!**

Rossi watched as Reid stood at the cemetary, simply staring at the freshly dug pile of dirt. He briefly wondered what was going on in the young man's head, but then decided against it. No way did he want inside of Reid's head, not now, not ever.

Rossi took a deep breath, unsure of what to say. It seemed as though nobody did. The entire team stood at the gravesite, heads bowed. The funeral had ended a while ago, and everyone had gone home, except them. Will had quickly left, taking Henry with him, he simply couldn't be there anymore.

It was Rossi who spoke first, seeing the only people still at the gravesite where his team members. "Hotch said it before, but I am going to reiterate it. We have our choice, we can take our time to mourn JJ, gather our thoughts and decide where we want to go from here. Or, we can get back into the field and find the son of a bitch who did this." He growled, already vowing to personally fund the search if he had to, anything to bring this monster to justice.

JJ, JJ was like his daughter, one who he had watched grow into a wonderfully talented agent, and then in the blink of an eye, watched her life end.

"Henry and Will need us now more than ever before, we need to be there for there regardless of which option we choose."

"Find him." Morgan spoke first, and was immediately echoed by his teammates, all agreeing it was time to find the bastard who had fired the shot.

"Then, lets get to work."

Hotch stared at the scene in front of him, the house where his agent had been murdered. He took in everything he could, taking in the scene by memory, and once he was certain he had it; he walked back into hell.

JJ's blood stained the floor, crime scene tape still surrounded the house. The window where the shot had come from, the shattered glass littered the ground. Every aspect of that house, sent flashbacks of JJ's death rushing thru Hotch's mind.

He mentally played back the scene in his head, visualizing where everyone stood, and then it occurred to him, one person that had arrived on scene way too early- even before the paramedics had been contacted. He had somehow shown up before JJ had even passed.

And a sudden bout of rage filled Hotch's body- he knew who the asshole was, and God help him, he was going to kill the man once he found him.


	10. Done

**A/N: VERY short chapter, again. I apologize for that, but it is needed to capture the importance and emotion in these moments. Thanks for your reviews! And.. anyone have a guess of who our baddie is yet?**

Slowly, the sun rose again, shining light into the man's bedroom window. Normally, the rise of the sun acted as a natural alarm clock to him; a signal for him to get up and get ready for his shift.

But today was anything but normal. He hadn't slept in God knew how long, he couldn't eat without immediately needing to vomit. The only thing he could force himself to do, was suck on ice cubes.

What had he done? He had taken a life, the a beautiful life, the life of a mother, a friend, a daughter, a wife. All because he was jealous.

Jealous of a young SWAT officer, Ian Mitchell, the man he had caught sleeping with his wife. Mitchell, nor his wife had ever known, that he knew- that he had found them that night. And he planned to keep it that way.

His plan had been set perfectly, he had lured the agents in, and then set his brother inside the house. The FBI had thought his brother was the kidnapper which allowed him to set up outside the entire time! His poor brother who had a long rap sheet with the police, his poor brother who he knew would raise a gun the minute he saw a cop.

It had been easy really, all he had to do was find a small child, grab her, and hide her. He never had any intentions of hurting her, just needed to lure the FBI in so that his plan would work.

He had lead the FBI straight to him. And when they walked in, he positioned himself in the tree, so that he could see inside. When Mitchell stepped up front, he knew it was perfect.

He smiled, aimed his gun, and fired.

He had murdered an FBI agent in cold blood, and as he turned his own gun over in his hands, he couldn't think of anyway out of this mess. The FBI would surely find him, that wasn't a question. The question was when.

And when he heard the bang at his door, he knew they had finally found him. So, with a steady hand, he raised the gun to his head and waited for the door to be kicked open.


	11. Over

**A/N:Thank you all for your reviews!**

Robert Patterson held the gun to his head, his hands shaking, his finger on the trigger; and now the intimidating presence of the FBI at his door.

They didn't look happy, they looked downright angry. There was only one way out of this as far as Patterson could see. His finger twitched again. And then a voice spoke, a voice he had been terrified to hear for over a week now.

He squeezed his eyes shut and forced himself to listen, trying to stop a lone tear that ran down his cheek.

Aaron Hotchner's fears and suspicions were confirmed when he and the SWAT team entered the small house. Robert Patterson was there, sitting against a wall, a gun to his head.

"Chief, put the gun down." Hotch ordered, anger rushing through him. He almost wanted this man to make a sudden move, any move so that it would give Hotch an excuse to shoot him; his anger at this man ran so deep all Hotch could think about was what he had done to JJ.

When Patterson didn't move, didn't seem to acknowledge the existence of anyone else in the house, Hotch took a moment to look around the room. Pictures of a happy man and woman lined the hallways, evidence of grandkids were there too. A baby was smiling as Patterson held her, a grown woman smiling as the chief looked down at the baby.

This man had a family, just like JJ did. And despite what he had done, Hotch forced himself to

remember that. He took a deep breath and thought about JJ, what she would want.

This was for JJ and nobody else.

"Chief." Hotch started again, "Please, look at me." He waited until the chief did as he was asked, and when his eyes met Hotch's, he started to cry. He watched the strong, determined agent, holstered his weapon and lowered his voice.

"Chief. You killed my agent, you shot her in cold blood. You killed a talented young woman, took away a beautiful life, stole a wife from her husband and a mother from her child. You took an agent from her team, and a guardian from her people. Every aspect of me wants to hate you right now. You stole my agent, my coworker, my team and ripped our hearts apart," He nodded behind him where his entire team stood, with their guns still aimed at the chief; yet they were listening to Hotch's words just as much as the chief was.

Hotch knew he had the chief's attention and continued speaking. "JJ lived for family, her family, our family, your family. She truly hated seeing families ripped apart by violence; which is exactly what you did to her family. And as much as I want to make sure you never see the outside of this house again, I am doing this for JJ. JJ would look around your house and see the photos of your wife and children and grandchildren- she would do everything to make sure this resolved peacefully. I am not JJ, but am acting in her behalf. Chief, I am asking you to put down the gun, and let us walk out of here. I am not going to let you die and take the easy way out, I will not take you from your family.

Patterson couldn't believe what he was hearing. Hotch was not going to shot him, and was asking him to put down his gun.

"Chief, you have a family. Don't make them lose you this way." Hotch's voice spoke again to him. "The grandkids need their grandfather, your daughter needs you"

Chief Patterson looked up and stood up. "I am so sorry." He conceded, not removing the gun from his head yet. "It was never supposed to happen like this.." And he collapsed back onto the ground, the gun falling from his hands as he simply started crying, unable to fight as he felt his hands cuffed behind his back. It was over.


	12. Goodbye

**A/N: Thanks for hanging in there! MAJOR WARNING FOR THIS CHAPTER:**

**There is a mention of suicidal ideation in this chapter, just a warning.**

Will sat in the family living room, Henry was upstairs asleep. His world had crashed down on him a week ago; and now Will wasn't sure he would ever be able to climb out of the dark hole he had found himself in.

His wife was dead. The love of his life was gone and he didn't even get the chance to say goodbye. He didn't get the chance to tell her how much he loved her, how she was everything in his world, that she was his world.

And when Hotch had called him that day- Will felt as though his life had ended with the bullet that took his wife.

It had only been a week, a hellish week at that. And Will was not sure how much longer he could keep it up. If this was what a week felt like, he couldn't imagine the rest of his life.

People had told him that it would get easier, that time brought healing and that soon, he would be able to smile again, and laugh. Soon, he would be able to look at her clothing, or sleep in their bed.

But soon was not coming soon enough.

So he sat on the couch, his service pistol in his hand. He knew it was loaded. All he had to do was pull the trigger.

Reid would take care of Henry, better care than Will could give him. Reid could get through the day without crying, or talk without tearing up. Reid could be more of a father to Henry then Will could even hope to offer.

He had written the note, one specifically addressed to the BAU, thanking them for all of their work, their support and their friendship. A separate note had been left for Henry, to open once he turned 18. As far as Will was concerned, Henry only needed to know that his daddy had gone to live with his mommy.

He had said goodbye to his son that night, kissed him goodnight and tucked him in, knowing he would be better off in Reid's care, and then he went to the garage, fully knowing what he was about to do.

Now, the cold metal rested against his forehead, his fingers shaking as they held the trigger. Why in the hell couldn't he pull the trigger? He was so, so close. And just when he was about to do it, just when he had it set in his mind, his phone rang.

"Will." It was Hotch's voice. "We got 'em."

And the unspent bullet remained in the chamber as the gun clattered to the floor and Will looked up and simply whispered "thank you, Hotch." Into the phone. That phone call had just saved his life, and with a deep breath, Will rushed back into his house, to Henry's room, before he lifted the sleeping boy into his arms, and cried.


	13. Goodbye and Hello

**A/N: This is the end of this story, thank you all so much for reading. Slight spoilers for 5x13, "Risky Business."**

Hotch sat in front of the headstone, flowers in hand. He stared at the markings and tried to squash any feeling that presented itself. It had been a year, a full, damn year since that horrible day; and everyday, he still heard her voice, her laughter.

He had heard it over and over again, that with time comes healing; and he knew it was true. He had thought back to what she had told him that day on the jet, how she had informed him of her sister's suicide. He remembered what she had told him, word for word: "Losing someone is never easy... but one day, you'll remember her and you won't hurt." He could only hope her words were true.

At the two year mark, Robert Patterson was sentenced to death. Not one tear for the man was shed in the court room that day, and for the rest of his life, Patterson never had a single visitor.

At the five year mark, Rossi surprised the entire team, Will and Henry by helping unveil the new children's hospital, the Jennifer Jareau Children's Hospital. It had taken five years to complete, and had opened its door on the fifth anniversary of JJ's death. It was ten year old Henry who got to cut the ribbon, and Henry who smiled when he saw the beautiful photo of his mother hanging in the lobby. The most advanced children's hospital in the area, now carried his mother's name.

At the ten year mark, Rossi had stood with Hotch and Reid at JJ's headstone. He had always considered Reid and JJ to be his children, and losing JJ felt as though he had lost one of his kids. He had lost one of his two kids, and by God, he would not let that happen to Reid. Reid, his wife, or his three young children.

When Henry graduated medical school, Hotch was there standing proud next to Will and Emily, next to Blake, Morgan, Rossi and Garcia. In the twenty years since her death, Hotch had learned something. He had learned that his family, regardless if they were blood or not, regardless if they were still working with the FBI, his family was there.

Thirty years later, Hotch laid in a hospital bed, surrounded by his son and grandkids, by Henry and his kids and wife. "Say hi to mom, alright, Hotch?" It was the last words he heard, and as he took his last breath, he realized that while he had brought JJ her justice a long time ago, that he had not just brought justice to her, but to thousands of others.. And when his time of death was called, when he walked through this amazing gates, he was immediately embraced by the team members who had gone before him- and he was embraced by JJ.

"Hotch." She started.

"JJ.. I'm sorry."

"Hotch. You have nothing to be sorry for." As he looked at her, he realized she knew something he didn't. "Hotch, you were with me that day, my family was with me. You took care of Henry and Will, you were there as a mentor for my grandkids. Hotch, I don't care about the man that shot me, I don't care that he was never caught. My life wasn't him, my life was Will and Henry, and the team. Hotch, I couldn't be angry at you, you continued my life by taking care of those I lived for."

Hotch had no words, he simply stared at the beautiful blonde.

"Welcome home, Agent Hotchner." Spoke the voice, he swore he would never hear again. "Welcome home."


End file.
